The present invention relates to an improved bulk material handling system for handling pulverized solid materials that are likely to create a dust cloud when being transferred from a container such as a bag to a receptacle such as a spreader. The apparatus of the present invention is of the kind that would be especially useful to farmers when spreading finely granulated solid materials on a field.
It is a common practice for farmers to apply various chemicals to their fields by placing the chemicals in suitably designed spreaders and pulling the spreaders behind tractors. One common practice is to apply finely granulated solid insecticide on fields by dumping 50 pound bags of insecticide into a box-like spreader having a metering gate and a metering wheel in the bottom, and then pulling the spreader behind a tractor to dispense the solid insecticide onto the ground. When a farmer dumps a bag of insecticide into such a spreader an insecticide dust cloud is generated, which results in a loss of material. Also, the insecticide dust cloud frequently envelops the farmer, which is both a nuisance and a hazard to the farmer's health.
This invention relates to a new and useful bulk material handling system, and more particularly a bulk material handling system for handling pulverized solid materials like finely granulated solid insecticides. Bulk material handling systems for handling pulverized solid materials are well known in the prior, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,171,449 which issued to Edward H. Ellms, et al. on Mar. 2, 1965, and which shows an apparatus that may be readily operated to substantially eliminate dusting difficulties during transfer of large bulk quantities of dusty solid materials from one container to another. While Ellms apparatus appears to be useful for many purposes, it is not well suited for dust-free loading of farm spreaders with bulk quantities of dusty solid materials, like insecticides.
The present invention provides a novel and useful bulk material handling system that very greatly reduces dust formation when transferring bulk quantities of dusty solid materials like insecticides from shipping and storage containers into spreaders of the kind most commonly used on farms.